Poultry feed-box.



J. A. GONBOIE.

POULTRY FEED BOX.

APPLICATION FILED IEB.18,1913.

1, 1 02,004. Patented June 30, 1914.

IN ENTO R A 'I'To R N BY JOSEPH A. CONBOIE, 033 PITTSBURG, CALIFORNIA.

POULTRY rEEnBox.

Specification of Letters Fatent.

Patented June 39, 11914.

Application filed Eebruary 18, 1913. Serial No; 749,157.

To all who), it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrn A. CoNBom, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburg. in the county of Contra Costa and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Poultry Feed- Boxes, of which the following is a specifica-' tion.

This invention relates to poultry feed boxes.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a .feed box having capacity for the simultaneous feeding of a large number of fowls, and which box is so designed as to occupy minimum space and involves features rendering the device sanitarv.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a readily cleaned feed box, in which is provided a number of individual stalls at each of which a fowl may feed unmolested by others standing upon the shelf or platform, and which stalls are provided with movable sides closable at such periods when it is desired .to prever the fowls having access to the food in the feed box.

The invention consists of a hopper with one or more horizontal double shelves or platforms upon which fowls may stand, and which is provided with movable partitions or walls forming individual stalls to separate chickens or other fowls while feeding.

It also comprises details .of constructiqn which will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a side elevation of the improved feed box. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section.

I have shown the feed box as comprising in the present instance end walls 2-2, of suitable material, having the desired dimensions' and form; the end panels or boards 2 being connected by one or more horizontal, longitudinally extending shelves or platforms which may be superposed vertically above each other and may also be arranged, as shown in Fig. 2, in a common horizontal plane with the tinner edges 44 of the shelves or platforms sutliciently spaced to form a throat or throats Into the throat 5 food will gravitate from a hopper 6 having inclined sides 7-7 which extend longitudinally and obliquely between the upper portions of the end panels 2. The lower horizontal edges of the hopper boards 7-7 terminate slightly above the upper plane of the top series of shelves or la'tforms 3 and also slightly to one side 0 the inner edges of the platforms, so that a quantity of the feed will, while gravitating from the feed hopper 6, spread laterally thereof upon the upper surface of the shelves or platforms 33.

Just outside of each of the hopper walls or boards 7, and paralleling and spaced from the lower edges of the same and secured vu-pon the shelves or platforms 3, are troughforming stop'strips 8 extending sufficiently up from the boards 3 to prevent the scattering and wasting of the material from the hopper 6 as it passes laterally below the lower edgesof the hopper boards. The feed collects between the lower outside surface of the boards 7 and the inner surface of the stop strips 8 and is accessible to chickens and other'fowls alighting upon the shelves or platforms 3.

It is desirable that a feed box be provided which is capable of feeding relatively a large fraction of the total number of chickens in a given runway or house in poultry farms. To that end, in addition to providing double horizontal platforms, as 33, disposed on each side of the feed hopper ti, I also superpose the platforms, as indicated at 10--10 and 1-1-11, so that I have a series, or vertical tier, of double platforms upon each of which the feed will gravitate from the hopper 6, after it has been chargedat the top, which may be closed by a hinged or other movable cover 12.

For the purpose of confining the food within the central portion of the feed box there is attached to the underside of each of the platforms 3 and- 10 a downwardly depending chute-forming wall, the inner surfaces of which may aline with the edges 4 of their respective platforms. The lower horizontal edge of each of the walls 13 terminates slightly above the next lower platform for the provision of apertures 14 through which the feed from the hopper can feed laterally toward the adjacent parallel stop strips 8 attached to respective platforms. The lowermost double plat form is provided with a central, longitudinal aperture 15 in alinement with the chamber formed between the walls, 1313. g The aperture 15 is closed by a removable stop or trap-door 16 which can be moved out of the way when it is desired to thoroughly cleanse the feed box at such intervals as may be necessary.

One of the important features of the present invention is the provision of means whereby individual feed stalls can be formed at which only a single chicken or other fowl can feed; the stalls being arranged horizontally along and above their respective platforms, so that when a chicken alights upon the platform to feed it will not be able to observe chickens on the same platform and can feed unmolested and is prevented from molesting others. This stall formation is obtained by attaching to the hopper Walls 77 and the vertical walls 13l3 of the feed box transversely projecting partitions or wings 17, hinged as at 18 to a contiguous fixed portion of thefeed box. The wings 17 are spaced preferably just a sufficient distance to permit the access of a single chicken or other fowl to the feed till within the strips 8.

In order to prevent the access of chickens to the 'feed box at such periods as may be desired, I have shown each horizontal series of wings or stall-forming partitions 17 in a common plane extending along respective sides of the box as joined by a respective link or other appropriate connection, as 19, whereby any or all of the series of partitions 17 can be closed to a position adjacent to the hopper walls for the prevention of the access by fowls to the feed troughs. I have also shown the partition walls 17 as terminating somewhat above the plane of the platforms 3, 10 and 11 so that they can be readily closed without interference from accretions of food or other substances upon the upper surface of the platforms when the several wings are to be moved by their respective connections 19.

The alighting and gathering of fowls upon the top 0 the feed box is effectually prevented by the mounting thereupon of a rotary baffle consisting of end wheels 19 having a stud or shaft 20 turnable in bearings 21; the perimeters of the wheels 19 being connected by longitudinally extending slats 22. A suitable number of the slats is spaced about the circumference of the spaced wheels 19, the diameters of these being such that when a. fowl flies toward the top of the feed box it will encounter the rotary baflie and be prevented from obtaining a firm footing upon the top of the box.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. A feed box comprising end panels, a hopper supported between said panels, a series of superposed platforms carried by the end panels and located beneath the hopper. chute walls attached to the under sides of the platforms and projecting downwardly to a point adjacent the platform next below 1 thereby forming lateral openings to the platform, longitudinally extending stop strips secured to the upper surfaces of the platforms substantially adj'acent said openings, and rigid floor supporting partition members attached to the hopper and the chute walls transversely of the platforms.

2. A feeding device comprising end panels, a feed hopper secured between said panels, a series of platforms varying in width arranged beneath said'hopper with the widest platform at the bottom, chute walls fastened to the under surfaces of the platforms adjacent their inner edges and projecting downwardly to within a short distance of the platform next below, and longitudinally extending stop strips secured to the platforms intermediate their edges.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH A. CONBOIE; Witnesses:

W. C. Crown.

WM. MORTIMORE. 

